


The Ghost of Christmas Past

by hugharekillianmelou



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Hinted Abuse, christmas carol xmas past and future kinda thing, hinted abortion, hinted kidnapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:00:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22075123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hugharekillianmelou/pseuds/hugharekillianmelou
Summary: Penny and Gladys get a taste of their past due to some disembodied tricksters in a Christmas carol inspired tale
Relationships: FP Jones II/Gladys Jones, FP Jones II/Penny Peabody
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4
Collections: A Very Merry Serpent Hissmas





	The Ghost of Christmas Past

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NorthernSerpent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorthernSerpent/gifts).



> For northern-serpent on tumblr as a part of the southside archive secret santa!  
> Also thank you Vannah for being encouraging. Thank you court for giving me such amazing AMAZING feedback as a beta(also for help with the title). Thank you Laurien for supporting me so i could finish.

Somewhere in Toledo, the night of Christmas Eve, Gladys Jones walked home from a bar, a slight stumble in her step and alcohol coursing through her system. She let out a hiccup as she nearly tripped, taking far too long to steady herself. 

She scowled at the bright lights that were hung haphazardly over the decrepit houses that resided near the serpent junkyard. Soft sounds of holiday music and family dinners drifted leaked from the homes she passed, leading her to think of her own family this time of year. 

Jellybean and her would go to their favorite diner on Christmas Eve, order a banana split and eat to their heart’s content, before going home to watch one holiday movie and tucking in to bed. The next day, the would pack a picnic after presents and bundle up to eat by the pond, only going home when they felt frostbite nipping at their bright red fingertips. 

This year she was alone. 

“Merry Fuckin Christmas to me” she slurred slightly, before bumping into another figure.

“Watch it-Jones.”

“Peabody” 

A smug smile slid across the woman’s face, “Lonely, Jones?”

Gladys just glared before turning and walking away.

“Hey-” Penny made a grab for her wrist.

“Don’t touch me unless you want to lose the other eye. Or I’ll finish the job my son wouldn’t let me”

Penny paled slightly and dropped her hands. 

“Alright, alright.” she walked backwards a little, hands up, “I’ll-woah!” 

Her back foot broke through the wood of a basement shack, in her haste, she dragged Gladys down with her. 

Gladys woke up in pain, her head swimming and her arm aching. She blinked blearily as she tried to survey her dark surroundings. Somewhere across the small space, came a cough, and a string of curse words. 

Penny could feel boards pushing painfully against her sides and back, she grunted as she attempted to get up, but to no avail.

“Fuck”

“Where the fuck are we?”

“How should I know?! I can’t see shit!” Penny hissed as a nail poked her leg. 

A low rumble sounded from beneath them.

“What was that?” Gladys asked

“What was what?”

The rumble became louder, morphing into a high pitched laugh, splitting into two, then three, until the mercenary of laughter surrounded them, becoming deafening. 

The women pressed their palms tightly against their ears for what seemed like ages until the noise died down. 

“What was that?” Gladys breathed, lowering her hands. 

*I’d ask more who was that, if I were you* a shrill voice sounded in her ear. Fear crept up her back as the voice continued to chuckle. 

*Well, are you going to ask?* it sounded again, cracking slightly at the end. 

She looked around wildly, “Peabody what the fuck was that?!”

“What do you mean?”

“The voice!”

“What voice?”

-This voice!- a low, gravely voice responded, this time near where Penny was. 

*Oi! Hello Brother!* the shrill one answered from beside Gladys’ other ear, causing the woman to jump. 

-Hello!-

“What d’you want?” Penny asked. 

-Want?- the lower voice answered, -Want?- it laughed, -You have disturbed us in our home. You must pay-

*How shall we do this brother? Which one first?*

“What?!” Gladys felt a tug on her hair. 

*Oh this one, most definitely* she felt a cool breeze on her cheek and her hand shot out to feel...nothing. 

*oh, silly one*

-you can’t touch us- the voices cackled, before a bright wisp of light appeared in the middle of the room. 

*Someone’s been naughty this year* 

-Not a nice bone in your body-

*Lets see how you like it*

-Living through the misdeeds of your past-

*and accepting your fate*

-to maybe change your tune-

*Better do it soon*

-For if you don’t-

*And you most likely wont*

*-Your fates will be sealed-* they finished chanting, cackling again as the bright light encased the room, nearly blinding the two women. 

Both women felt themselves being pulled in every direction, a wave of nausea rushing over them. 

They landed on a carpeted floor in a heap, groaning.

*We start with the Jonsie!* The shrill voice came back

-A wee child was she!- the lower voice laughed.

The two women scrambled up as the voices faded away.

_ Gladys at five years old sat on an ugly mustard-colored carpet, eyes wide in awe as she looked around wildly at the wildly decorated living room.  _

“Where are we?” Penny asked.

“Shh,” Gladys staggered forward, her attention rapt. 

_ The tree sat in a corner, decked to the brim with tinsel, popcorn garlands, and was one ornament away from toppling over. Ugly, porcelain santas filled every possible surface, and the walls seemed as they were plastered with old wrapping paper.  _

_ “You’ve gone a bit...overboard...this year, don’t you think?” the man on the couch asked. He was wearing what seemed to be ironed pajama pants, and a simple white tee, glasses perched precariously on the bridge of his thin nose as a cigar hung loosely from his lips, a lazy trail of smoke coming from it.  _

_ “I think its beautiful” the woman next to him answered, smiling. Ornaments hung from her ears, the color matching the bright red lipstick drawn across her lips.  _

_ A boy sat next to young Gladys on the floor, plump and scowling, sitting in a onesie that seemed to have barely fit him.  _

_ The young girl plucked up a package that was nearly as big as her, smile wide.  _

_ ‘Who’s this for?!’ she asked excitedly, her expression dropping as the man pointed to the boy next to her.  _

_ As the scene went on, more and more presents stacked up next to the boy, who was sitting in a sea of wrapping paper, a stark contrast to the girl, who had one small box sitting beside her, unopened. _

_ ‘Gladys, aren’t you going to open your present?’ the woman asked. Gladys nodded and ripped off the paper, revealing a simple ring, shining beneath the lights of the christmas tree.  _

Gladys clutched her necklace that held the same ring, her lips pressed into a hard line as she turned away from the scene. 

Their surroundings changed, and the carpet beneath their feet became damp, and muddy grass. 

_ It was raining that day, the cemetery grey and dull as hoards of figures dressed in black, holding varying colors of umbrellas, huddled around a casket-sized hole in the ground.  _

_ Gladys Jones was now in her teens, standing next to two men: one tall and stocky, baby fat still present in his face, and one with greying hair, whose scowl deepened the longer he stood. _

_ The girl wept into a handkerchief, her makeup running down her face. _

_ ‘Its your fault, you know’ the younger man whispered to her, leaning down to talk in her ear, ‘You should’ve been home earlier-’ _

_ ‘There was traffic-’ _

_ ‘You should’ve left earlier then-’ _

_ ‘I was in school!’ she hissed, ‘I couldn’t have known this was gonna happen, Jeremy!-’ _

_ ‘Enough’ the older man cut the two off, ‘show some respect for your mother.’ _

Gladys looked at the scene, her jaw set. Penny felt a pang, somewhere in her chest, and lifted her hand.

“Don’t-” Gladys gruffed, Penny’s hand froze. 

“Go stand over there” she pointed to the tree a little ways away. 

“Don’t-”

“Peabody.” 

Penny took one more glance at the scene, before walking over to the tree. 

Gladys approached her younger self, her stony expression dropping slightly. She remembered the pain she felt back then clearly. 

As she reached up to touch her younger self’s cheek, the scene changed again, her younger self morphing into a happier, older Gladys, pregnant belly swollen, and cuddled up next to a young FP Jones. 

_ The trailer was sparsely decorated, but had the most warm feeling. Old Christmas music crackled from the old radio in the corner, blending in with the fire of the yule log on the small television set. _

_ FP and Gladys Jones rested beneath a blanket, hot cocoa mugs in their hands and gold bands adorning their wedding fingers. Their feet rested on a coffee table, decorated with an obnoxious holiday themed covering that clashed with the rest of their decorations.  _

_ Gladys Jones felt happier than she had ever been in her life.  _

She knew that happiness would be fleeting.

Penny observed the couple with a spark of interest, “You and Forsythe were happy…”

“And what about it?”

“That’s news to me. Never saw you two get along, that’s all” she shrugged.

“Things changed. He used to be good. We both did.”

“Do you really believe that?”

Gladys turned to look at her, “Things changed. Doesn’t matter now.” she walked past her, bumping her shoulder in the process. Penny turned her attention back to the two on the couch. 

_ FP started to sing horribly off-key as he rested his head against his wife’s bulging belly.  _

_ ‘What are you doing? ’ the woman laughed.  _

_ ‘Singing to our child! What does it sound like?!’  _

_ ‘I’m sure he won’t appreciate the sounds of a dying cat-’ FP gave her a mock offended look.  _

_ ‘You hear this slander?!’ he asked her belly, making her burst into a fit of giggles.  _

The scene changed again, although it was the same trailer. 

“Is this what they meant by ‘living through misdeeds of your past?’” Penny mimicked the gravelly voice they had encountered earlier. 

“I guess so-” Gladys was interrupted by the boisterous giggle of a baby. 

_ The trailer was laden with decoration, tinsel and ornaments hung in every available open space. FP had little Jughead in his arms, and was zooming him around the room like an airplane as the boy yelled in excitment.  _

_ A happy Christmas song drifted overhead as Gladys bounced a bubbly, baby Jellybean in her lap.  _

_ ‘Presents!’ Jughead made grabby hands at the tree, ‘Presents! Presents!’  _

_ FP set him down, holding onto him as the boy squirmed, trying to get to the tree, ‘Ah ah little man, what’s the magic word?’ _

_ Jughead gave a dramatic sigh, ‘Please can I have presents?’  _

_ FP let go of him and the boy scrambled to the tree, nearly falling over himself. _

_ He snatched up a small rectangular package, his eyes wide, as he looked to his parents for approval.  _

_ With a slight nod from his mom, he ripped into the wrapping paper, his eyes gleaming as he spotted what he had gotten.  _

_ ‘A BOOK!’ he hugged it to his chest, ‘Thank you!’ he ran up and gave his mom a hug before plopping on the couch and opening it, immediately immersed.  _

_ ‘Do you wanna open up your other presents?’ FP laughed, _

_ ‘There’s more?!’ the boy gasped, his parents shared a loving look over his head.  _

“Are we in a Christmas Carol? Why do  _ I  _ need to look at your memories?”

“Fuck if I know. I’m not the biggest fan of you being here either-”

Penny withdrew a dagger from her boot, and shouted upward, “Come out you fucks! Show your faces!”

“Penny-” Gladys started, before the sound of breaking glass redirected their attention. 

Penny nearly dropped her knife as she took in the scene before her. 

_ FP Jones stood there sweating, panting, red faced, a vein present in his forehead as he glared down a younger Gladys Jones, who held his glare with an equal one of her own.  _

Gladys’ knuckles turned white as she balled her hands into fists.

_ FP looked haggard, his stance unsteady. _

_ ‘You’re out of your mind, Forsythe’ Gladys said darkly. _

_ ‘Oh really?!’ he slurred, ‘Oh really?!’ his voice raised, and the woman looked towards the other room, where the soft cries of a child started.  _

_ ‘You’re drunk’ she hissed, grabbing his wrist, only to be shrugged off as he stumbled back, ‘You should not be behaving this way near our kids. This is the fifth time, Forsythe’ _

_ His face darkened. _

_ ‘Take a walk, get out of the house, you’re acting like a fool.’ _

_ ‘Fuck you’ _

_ ‘Oh really? You wanna say that shit to me when I’m the only one on your side? Even Andrews is slipping’ _

_ He leaned forward, his hand raising slightly, anger radiating off of him.  _

_ ‘Try it’ she leaned in with a harsh whisper, ‘You’ll end up in a ditch. You got me?..Take a walk.’  _

_ He hesitated, before storming out.  _

_ Jellybean came out a few minutes later, holding her blanket to her face, which was covered in dry tear tracks.  _

_ ‘Momma?’ _

_ ‘Yes baby?’ _

_ ‘Is daddy always going to be like this?’ _

_ ‘I don’t know baby…’ she trailed off, ‘Say, go pack up some of your things and we’ll go visit grandma and grandpa-I’m sure they have some hot cocoa for us!’ _

_ ‘Hot cocoa?!’ Jellybean’s eyes brightened. _

_ ‘Yeah.’ the girl skipped back to her room.  _

_ Gladys took a short look around the trailer, something somber settling in her gaze, before she grabbed a bag from the chair.  _

Gladys set her jaw, her eyes stinging with tears. She hastily wiped at her eyes before turning to Penny, who was wearing a similar expression. 

“You left him.”

Gladys didn’t answer. They shared a silent moment, before something registered in Penny’s head.

“You left Jughead with him.”

“Let’s go-”

“We can’t go anywhere unless it changes for us! Answer me!”

Gladys opened the door of the trailer to see a spanse of white nothingness, before something invisible pushed her inside, slamming the door behind her. 

She turned and her face fell, for a young Jughead sat alone.

_ Jughead Jones looked around, a little worried, before settling into a book, peeking at the door or out a window every few minutes. _

“Jug-“

_ The young boy buried himself in the book.  _

_ Time seemed to pass by as Jughead busied himself around the apartment, trying to make food, but instead settling on cereal, and sleeping on the couch, the tv blaring as he forced his red-rimmed eyes to stay open.  _

_ On the third day, FP finally stumbled into the trailer, looking worse for ware.  _

_ ‘Juggie boy!’ he greeted, stumbling forward to hug the boy, who avoided his embrace. _

_ ‘Where have you been?!’ he asked, tears starting to fall down his face.  _

_ ‘Out. Where’s your mother?’ _

_ ‘I-I dunno-I haven’t-ha-haven’t’ he tripped over his words as the tears flowed freely.  _

_ ‘How long have you been here?’ _

_ ‘Thr-Three days now’ _

_ ‘Have you-have you eaten anything?’ _

_ ‘Cereal.’ _

_ ‘God, uh...I’m gonna go call your mom...you can-’ Jughead wrapped himself around his father’s leg, holding on tight.  _

_ ‘Get off, boy’ he lightly pushed the boy’s head before moving to the phone. _

Gladys ground her teeth together, a deep set guilt building in her stomach. 

“Gladys?” 

“Give me a minute. Just, step back...please”

Penny nodded and moved back, her attention focused on FP. 

Gladys went to crouch next to the vision of her younger son.

“I’m sorry” she whispered, reaching her hand out to stroke his hair, pulling it back before she could touch him.

_ Jughead’s lip trembled as he watched his father with watery eyes. He grasped a granola from his pocket, shoving it in his mouth as his dad finished the call. _

_ ‘Mom and jellybean went away for a little while…’ _

_ ‘What do you mean?’ _

_ FP stood in front of the boy, arms crossed, trying to figure out how to best word this to his son. _

_ ‘I mean...they’re not coming back here’ _

_ ‘Mom left?’ Jughead sniffled, ‘Can-can I go with her?’ _

_ ‘No’ _

_ Jughead’s bottom lip trembled as he wiped furiously at his eyes.  _

_ ‘Why not?’ _

_ ‘Let’s get you some pops’ _

_ ‘M’not hungry. I want mom!’ _

_ ‘You’re getting pops’ FP’s voice hardened. _

_ ‘Not hungry-‘ _

_ Fp took his wrist and he yanked it out of his grasp with a wail. _

_ ‘No!’ _

_ ‘Jughead-‘ Now FP started yelling _

_ ‘I wanna go with mom!’ _

_ ‘You can’t!’ _

_ ‘Why not?!’ _

_ ‘You just can’t’  _

_ ‘WHY.NOT’ _

_ ‘SHE DOESN’T WANT YOU! WHY DO YOU THINK SHE LEFT US ’ _

_ Jughead stilled, seeming to shut down, and FP sighed. _

Gladys ground her teeth, “Why the fuck would he tell him that?!”

“Seemed like it at the time, didn’t it?”

“I should’ve killed you when I had the chance”

“You should’ve killed him when you had the chance” Penny muttered, glare directed at the man in front of them.

-

They were back into the shack, groaning in pain

*Did you ladies enjoy that little journey to the past?* the shrill voice whispered into their ears

-It was quite a trip, wasn’t it???- The other replied with a low chuckle.

*A sad one*

-Poor mummy abandoned her son!- Gladys felt a poke in her side.

“Hey!”

*Poor Juggie boy!*

“Who the fuck are you?!” Penny whipped her head around trying to see who was there.

-Never mind that- 

*Next up is Miss Penelope Peabody-*

-off you go!-

“What?!” 

The two felt themselves being pulled in every direction, their bodies being stretched this way and that, until they landed on a stained, smelly, moth-bitten carpet. 

Gladys grimaced in disgust as Penny looked around, almost fearfully.

“Where are we?” 

Penny stayed silent, her eyes trained on a curly haired, blonde woman on the bedraggled couch, giggling dazedly on her brunette female companion’s shoulder.

_ The walls were peeling, exposing the drywall of the old house, cracks crawled up the paint, and stains of varying sizes and textures decorated the surroundings.  _

_ A little girl hobbled down the grimy stairs, stuffed animal in hand and thumb in her mouth. A stray tear rolled down her cheek as she stumbled towards the two women on the couch.  _

_ ‘Mommy?’ she whined, letting her thumb fall from her mouth, ‘Mommy?’  _

_ The brunette looked up, and shook the blonde softly.  _

_ ‘Hey, I think your kid needs you’ _

_ ‘Wha?’ the other woman looked behind her before a gentle, goofy smile spread across her features.  _

_ ‘Hey baby penny, whatcha need?’ she blinked slowly at the little girl.  _

_ ‘I had a bad dream’ the girl sniffled. _

_ ‘Oh its not real...nothings really real…’ the woman trailed off, before snapping out of her quick trance, ‘It’s all fine, go back to bed.’ _

_ ‘Can-can you stay with me?’ _

_ ‘Don’t you have your blankie?’ _

_ ‘Blankie wants you too mommy’ _

_ The blonde sighed before getting up, and shuffling over to her daughter to take her hand.  _

_ The two walked upstairs, past broken picture frames that once held family memories, past holes punched into the wall, until they got to a small bedroom that could be considered a closet.  _

_ The two settled into the thin sheets of the makeshift bed, and closed their eyes, letting themselves slip into a slumber.  _

Penny bristled as they came upon the next scene, a sidewalk in a low-income neighborhood.

_ Young Penny Peabody walked down the road, headphones on and blasting. She kept her eyes focused on the ground and hands shoved in her pockets until she bumped into someone.  _

_ ‘Watch it!’ she called, not bothering to look up, before she felt a strong hand grip her wrist and pull her backwards. _

Penny turned away from the two and squeezed her eyes shut, wincing as she heard the slam of a car door. 

Gladys surveyed the scene, glancing at Penny for a second before casting her eyes downward. 

_ A teenage Penny sat in a rolling chair at the desk of a shabby realty office, chewing gum as she propped her feet up.  _

_ The phone rang and she answered with a cheery disposition, ‘Pendleton Realty offices, how may we help you today-’ her face dropped, ‘Listen you little shit. You call asking about that again, and I’ll send some very nice men to your front step...would ya like that?’ she slammed the phone down with a huff.  _

_ A grey-haired man came up behind her, and placed steady hands on her shoulders, she winced at the contact.  _

_ ‘Make any good offers today?’ his voice was low and booming.  _

_ She gave a humorless laugh, ‘Only if you count that old meth house down the street, but only for construction...and a few others.’ _

_ ‘Few others?’ _

_ ‘Five’ _

_ ‘Five? That’s not very many’ _

_ ‘What can I say...not many people like being overcharged for shitholes, do they?’ _

_ The man leaned in close, and she leaned back, gulping nervously. _

_ ‘Put away that sass, Snake Charmer. You’re gonna sell more tomorrow...or else...got it?’ _

_ She nodded and relaxed as he released her. _

They stumbled on the next scene, a grungy basement with low lights and loud music that smelled of booze and teenage angst.

Gladys’ heart nearly dropped as she saw a young Penny and FP Jones making out on the couch in the corner. 

_ Penny smiled into the kiss as he crawled on top of her, pressing himself closer, his hands coming up to cup her face and his ring catching under the colorful moving lights.  _

_ The two pulled apart, chests heaving, as they caught their breath. _

_ ‘What about Gladys?’ she breathed, her eyes moving to his hand. He looked down and slipped off his ring before placing it in his pocket. _

_ ‘What about her?’ they shared a smile before he leaned in again for a passionate kiss.  _

Penny wouldn’t meet Gladys’ eyes as the scene moved to a grimy bathroom. 

_ ‘Fuckfufckfuck FUCK FUCKF UKC’ Penny paced back and forth in the bathroom, eyes straying to the pink pregnancy test that was balaced on the sink’s edge.  _

_ ‘Its just a scare its just a scare its just a-’ _

_ Her watch beeped and she looked at it anxiously, her face draining of color as she saw the two red lines. She tossed it in the trash and sat on the closed toilet, palms pressed to her eyes and shoulders shaking. _

_ ‘No’ she sobbed _

“No” Penny said at the same time as her younger counterpart.

Gladys sat silently, watching the woman interact with her younger self. 

The scene changed to FP Jones throwing a bottle against the wall.

_ ‘What?!’ Penny flinched, and moved to the couch. _

_ ‘Getting rid of it, just thought you should know’ _

_ ‘How?!’ _

_ ‘Dunno. Shit happens’ she shrugged, trying to discreetly wipe a tear that threatened to fall.  _

_ He collapsed in the chair across from her, trying to process it. _

_ ‘Shit. You better get rid of it. I can’t have that following me’ _

_ ‘No shit Sherlock. It’ll get handled.’ _

_ He gritted his teeth, and grabbed an unopened bottle, popping the top off with his keys, the lid flying somewhere behind him, before taking a big gulp. _

_ ‘Good.’ he sighed, ‘Now get out’ _

_ ‘My pleasure’ the woman stomped out, making sure to slam the door behind her. _

Gladys glared at the two before turning to the younger woman.

“I told you you should’ve killed him when you had the chance” Penny turned and the scene had changed to a hole-in-the-wall bar, nearly empty.

_ Red lights lined the walls of the bar, its walls plastered with various concert posters, and floor caked in decades of sticky stains and spills. Old rock music blasted from the speakers as Penny entered, donning a suit and briefcase. She took out her phone as she sat on one of the sturdier looking bar stools, and scrolled through her contacts, before placing it face down on the bar and ordering a shot. _

_ ‘Celebrating anything special?’ the jolly bartender asked, grin lighting up his lumberjack features.  _

_ ‘I’m a lawyer’ she answered, unbothered. _

_ ‘Well that’s a means of celebration! On the house!’ he slid the glass to her and she downed it quickly. _

_ ‘Thanks’ she set it down, before looking at her phone again.  _

_ A few shots later, her phone buzzed, rousing her from her conversation. _

_ ‘Hello?’ she slurred, _

Penny gripped the bar tightly, her knuckles turning white. 

_ ‘Is this Penny Peabody?’ _

_ ‘This is she’ she answered, her words mingling together.  _

_ ‘I’m so sorry to inform you of this, but your mother has just passed. Now, if you-’ Penny dropped her phone into her drink, her face blanching.  _

_ ‘Miss?’ the bartender asked her concernedly.  _

_ ‘Wha-oh nonononono’ she fished her phone out and attempted to wipe it with her shirt before holding it to her ear.  _

_ ‘Hello? Hello?!’ she asked frantically, trying to press the buttons on her dead phone, before she started shaking. She slapped a few bills on the table before running outside. _

“How do we get out of this shit?!” Penny yelled, turning away from her younger self. 

“You’re asking as if I know the answer?”

“I want out of this shit! I want out of this shit!” she screamed, trying to punch the wall, but falling through, “Fuck!”

The scene started to change again.

“Nonononono NO! I don’t want to see any more! Get that shit away from me!” the woman covered her eyes with her hands, and sat, her shoulders shaking. 

_ Penny slammed the door of her ratty apartment and took a glass and chucked it at the wall. She kept at it until there was a pile of broken shards covering the floor. _

_ ‘Fuck’ the young woman wiped her eyes half hazardly before slumping into the worn, big chair near the door.  _

_ She punched the arm of it for another good measure, before putting her head in her hands.  _

_ Her phone rang and she picked it up, ‘hello?’ _

_ ‘Penny Peabody?’ _

_ ‘What do you want?!’ _

_ ‘It’s Tall Boy...I have a proposition for you...ever thought of coming back to Riverdale?’ _

The two were pulled back to the shack, landing awkwardly atop of each other. 

“Ugh, fuck”

“Ouch! Get off me-”

Gladys shoved at the other woman and she rolled off onto the floor. 

*That was fun!*

-Great Fun!- the disembodied voices chimed in. 

*Rather tragic*

-Truly tragic-

*Never a tale with more woe*

-Then itty penny peabody-

*What a tragic lady!* the two voiced cackled, their voices growing louder and louder. 

A third voice joined in, this one more crooked than the other two, and a figure appeared in the corner of the room, its silhouette outlined by the moon and its blade glinting with its light. 

*Time for your future!* the higher voice squealed

-See how it all ends!-

*Time is of essence!*

-Go along!-

“This-this is actually a Christmas Carol...I am sleeping, I must be-” Penny muttered, groaning in pain when an object bounced off her head. 

-Oi! Tragic lady!-

*We’re not any Christmas Carol!*

-We’re the real thing!-

Gladys held her head as a headache started to form in her temples. She looked up to see the silhouette approaching her.

“You gonna tell me when I die?” she spat at it, “That what you’re gonna do?! You can’t scare me you piece of shit-” 

/Oh I’ll do much worse than that, Miss Gladys/ it cackled in its deformed manner, before whisking her away. 

“Gladys?!” Penny yelled, “Gladys?!” 

*Oh the lady is gone* one of the voices chirped near her ear. 

-Now you’ve just got us-

*Lets reach into that pretty little head*

-And see if we can find anything else of use and worry-

-

The figure and Gladys appeared next to two graves. 

_ In the little local cemetery, an older vision of Gladys Jones wiped her eyes as she knelt in front of two graves, laying down two bouquets.  _

_ ‘Hey Jellybelly...Hey Jug’ the woman’s fingers traced each letter of each name shakily, trying to keep them to memory.  _

_ ‘Missed you two today…’ she sniffed, and turned to Jellybean’s grave, ‘They had a big float today in the parade, and your name was on it-I know how much you loved them...even though it was atrocious’ she tried to give a half-hearted laugh, but ended up coughing.  _

_ ‘Sorry’ she tried to regain her breath and rested her forehead against the cold stone, ‘Lungs...its the smoking. You were right-as always-shit for the respiratory system’ she sighed before turning her head to Jughead’s grave and reaching over to splay her hand over his name. _

_ ‘I’m sorry.’ her lip trembled, ‘I’m so so sorry this happened. If I-If I had been there sooner-’ she cut herself off, looking down, ‘But that doesn’t matter now, does it.’ she sniffled.  _

Gladys surveyed the scene, unbelieving, until she turned to the figure, who just pointed to the graves.

“Thats...next year-that’s next year”

/All...your...fault.../ the figure whispered in her ear.

-

Penny was pressing her palms to her ears, trying to block out the two taunting voices, looking around to see if she could find a way out. 

The figure and Gladys came back, Gladys looking worse for ware, the figure revealing a yellow, crooked smile, shining from under its hood as it approached the blonde.

The figure stood over her, “is this some kind of death wish you’ve come here for? Because lemme tell you I’m not afraid-“ it touched her head and the next thing she knew, she was in a familiar decaying house, a woman in rags huddled in the corner.

“What-“ the hooded figure pointed at the woman, “What is-who is she?” It said nothing. 

_ The woman cowered in the corner, whispering to herself and clutching something. _

Penny approached the woman cautiously and lifted the hood of the hoodie.

Underneath revealed the pallid, gaunt face of an older version of herself, eyes rimmed red and wide, lips chapped, and a wild look about her.

“Is that-no” she backed away until she bumped into the figure.

“Why did you-Why did you bring me here?” 

“Your future” a voice croaked from the woman. Penny blanched as her other self got up and staggered towards her.

_ “Your bitterness at life will send you spiraling until you are nothing more than what your drug addicted mother was.”  _

Her hand reached out slowly to touch her face and she leans backwards, trying to avoid their touch. The figure behind her moved closer until her doppelgänger’s hand was mere moments from touching her face. At their touch, she felt herself being sucked into their body. 

_ She woke up in the shack, bruised and sore, and got up to see herself in the mirror. As she did, she saw her future self, wide-eyed and staring at her. Her teeth were gangly and yellow and her mouth tasted of nothing but tobacco. _

She screamed, and woke up again, this time Gladys was hovering over her, looking down at her, grim expression on her face.

Penny felt her face before getting up, and checking the mirror.

“Oh thank god” she checked her teeth. Still white. 

She turned to Gladys, whose lips were set in a line.

“What do you suppose we do now?”

“I guess we have to be better?”

“Be better?”

*Oi ladies! Did you not listen to our spiel?!* shrill voice screeched

- _ Do _ better!- the other voice grumbled

*Or you’ll end up like your future*

-And I reckon you lot don’t want that-

“Well if that was our future…”

“Yours bad too I guess?”

“I wouldn’t wish it on anyone”

Penny nodded.

“I found a ladder to hoist us out, wanna give me a hand?” Gladys nodded towards a ladder propped against the far wall.

“Sounds like a plan”


End file.
